Two Hearts that Belong
by soumya-heart-twilight
Summary: This is a story about the multitalented Bella Cullen, who decides to follow her father's footsteps and joins the FBI. When she meets Edward Masen there, a series of events occur, which changes their lives forever. While they fall head over heels in love, they have to go through various hurdles which threaten their relationship. Will their love help them resurface again? AH
1. Chapter 1

Title: untitled

Chapter: 1

BPOV:

"Ugh! Stop it or else…" I moaned.

"Not until you wake up. Now pick up that lazy butt of yours!" Alice screamed, while shaking my shoulder violently.

"Awesome. Last night I sleep late, and now I get to wake up by a pixie trying to dislocate my shoulder. My mood is just peachy." I said sarcastically.

"C'mon Bella, I know you love me." She said with a pout.

"Annoying pixie." I muttered groggily and got up.

I'm Isabella Marie Cullen, and I am 20 years old. I stay with my family in a huge mansion in 50 Central Park Avenue. My father Carlisle has a rather interesting job. He is the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or the FBI. Many people find it awesome that my father has such a cool job. Not many people know that though his job is cool, it also has its own share of problems. Like the fact that he, and naturally we all were always under heavy security, as his life was under high risk due to all his brilliant achievements in his career, where he nabbed and caught a very large number of criminals and offenders. He was prone to death threats, and he has received so many of them that he no longer bothers about them, because he had full faith in his devoted and loyal security. My mother esme is the best mother in the whole world. I have never come across a woman so loving, gentle and compassionate, but at the same time so independent and fun loving. She was an interior designer, and that too an established one. One of her 'peroxide blonde and plastic' friends used to organize some of the most famous parties, and Alice used to drag me there. Of course, Emmett wouldn't miss the opportunity for free food, and wherever Alice went, jasper used to follow her like a love struck teenager. Sometimes the intensity of their love made me sick, just like now.

"Hello, angel." Jasper said as Alice descended the stairs to go to the dining room. I followed her rather angrily. You must have realized by now that I am not a morning person. As she reached the foot of her stairs, his grin widened, and looked lovingly into her eyes. Alice was no better.

"How was your morning?" she asked him rather perkily. Seriously, I needed to cut down her morning coffee-drinking binge.

"It was the best morning ever. You just enriched my day with your mere presence, and I look forward to whatever you have planned today." Saying so, he gently took her hand and kissed the back of it. See? Sick.

"Man, that was so cheesy." Emmett bellowed from the table, while eyeing the spread made by my parents. It was their way of bonding with us on holidays. Right now Jazz and I were home for our Christmas break at Princeton, while Emmett had returned from California, where he worked with a firm after graduating from law school. Who would miss the chance for home-cooked meals? Our graduation was just after New Year. Though jasper was 21 and I was 20, I was graduating early. Carlisle was so proud of me that he gave me a gray Lamborghini reventon, which I was ogling at the recent car expo we had gone to.

"OUCH! What was that for? " Emmett said while rubbing the back of his head where esme had smacked him.

"Emmett Miguel Cullen! Is this how we have groomed you? That was so sweet!" she said with a soft expression, while Carlisle snickered silently.

"Good morning Al. how are you sweetie?" Carlisle asked her.

"I'm fine Carlisle, but it seems that your daughter is growing attached to her bed! I mean who sleeps so much when there is Christmas sale at every mall?" she huffed.

"Alice, no way in hell are you taking me to shopping tonight. You have simply redefined the meaning of the term shopping!" saying so, I went towards my father, who hugged me tightly, while Alice stood next to Jazz, pouting.

"Good morning dad, morning mom" I said before a huge yawn escaped my mouth. Esme smiled at me, and kissed my forehead gently and smoothened my hair, while I still was in Carlisle's embrace. Call me a Daddy's lil' girl' but I don't care. I missed my father terribly. Esme at least used to come down to the campus every few weeks due to her business trips, but ever since university started, my I could meet my father only once a year, or if luck favored us, then twice. This was one of the reasons why I loved Christmas and thanksgiving, because we were always surrounded by our loved ones.

"Good morning sleepyhead. Come let's have some breakfast. I made your favorite choc chip waffles with chocolate sauce. Have them when they are fresh." Carlisle said while peppering my face with gentle kisses. As we sat down the dining table, the maids brought the food which mom and dad prepared, and filled our plates with our choice of food. Emmett's plate resembled a mountain, rather than a plate of food. I snickered while I saw him gobbling his food noisily, and after a few bites of Esme's famous chicken Manchurian, he moaned loudly.

"Mhhhh… this is the best chicken dish invented. Its awesome mom!" he said while approaching her for a high-five.

Esme simply smacked his arm with as much force as she could muster, which shocked Emmett. She turned to Alice and said " Stacey and I are going to make the Christmas feast at our house. If you want to invite anyone, let me know as early as possible." Stacey Brandon was Alice's mother and my god-mother, and she was the best friend of Esme. I loved her to death, and considered her my second mother. We all nodded, telling Esme we would do as she says.

"BEL-LA" Alice chirped while looking at me with those too-innocent eyes. 'Shit', I muttered to myself. God knows what the devious pixie is up to when she gives you that look. Better stay away from her. Though she was a tiny 4"11 compared to my 5"6, yet she could command you with so much authority that you should know better than to displease her.

"You are coming with me for shopping! And after having your food, go and have a shower, because I am going to give you a makeover. I'll probably give you a haircut, and then we'll…." She blabbered on. Giving her a mock salute, I excused myself from the dining table and headed upstairs. I entered the bathroom, and decided to take a long hot shower.

The bathroom was brown and cream themed, with two pillars adjacent to the bathtub. (picture of bella's bathroom is in my profile) At one end was a saloon for primping and getting ready, while at the other end there was a shower cubicle surrounded with partial plain and partial fogged glass, in beautiful floral patters that gave a look of eloquence but also saved your modesty at the same time. I stepped into the shower, and sat down on the cool marble stool in between the various angled faucets. The jets of steaming water from different directions unknotted my sleepy muscles, and gave a good massage. I stepped into the bathtub, which was prepared previously for a bubble bath. Next to the bathtub was a pink post-it, on which I recognized Alice's scribble:

"_I knew that you would be grumpy before the shopping spree. No need to thank me._

_-Love, Alice xxx"_

I laughed as I read the note. Silly Alice, I knew she was my bestie for a reason. I washed myself thoroughly with my lavender and freesias body wash, gently scrubbing my skin with the fragrant lather. I always told Esme to buy this one, as the smell was addicting and calming. I used one of my favorite shampoos which Alice had got for me at her own liberty, stating something along the lines that it would make my hair more shinier, strong and smooth, though nothing was wrong with it previously. As I gently massaged my scalp with it, I thought about the past few days. Suddenly I remembered the day I had decided my career….

_*-FLASHBACK-*_

_I was waiting in the head office for Carlisle and Esme, as they were called up urgently regarding my studies. At first when I confronted the teachers, they simply refused to answer my questions. When I went to jasper's dorm and told him about what had happened, and that mom and dad would be coming to the university in a few hours, he decided to skive his study group session and decided to spend rest of the day with me in my dorm. When he asked me what I thought could be the reasons for the authorities to call our parents o such a short notice, I wondered out loudly:_

"_Jazz, as far as I can remember, I have never been caught drunk or doing drugs, not have I been caught at those late night parties thrown by those gold diggers like Lauren and Jessica. As far as I can remember, I have always submitted the projects in due time, and prepared for all the summative and midterm exams and have not failed any exam. My GPA was always 4.0 and never reduced. So what could have gone so wrong that they called mom and dad on such a short notice? You know how busy dad is. If he has come all the way from New York to receive some bad news about me, he will be so disappointed. Esme will also feel bad, though she will never show it to anyone." We both knew that I was rambling, but I simply couldn't stop my nerves._

"_Bella, first of all get this into the thick skull of yours that you haven't done anything wrong. Believe in yourself. I am sure that you are simply being a worrywart. Who knows why the called mom and dad. But always remember, whatever may happen, we will always love you. We are your family Bella. We will never judge you by your academic performance. I'm sure everything will be all right in the end. Now grab your coat, and let us go to the head office. Mom and dad's meeting should have finished by now." Jasper said soothingly. I always loved my brother for this. We had a strange connection. He could easily recognize my emotions and always helped me to stay calm and levelheaded. The small pep talk that he had given me was what I exactly required. Together we hurried to the head office and found Esme and Carlisle standing there, waiting for us._

"_Isabella, we have already spoken to the university authorities." Carlisle said in a very 'serious-no-nonsense' tone that he always reserved for Emmett. When I spared a glance at Esme, I saw her giving a wink to jasper. I stood still; waiting for Carlisle to tell me how disappointed Esme and he were in me. And then he gently wound Esme in his arms, while Jasper went and stood next to him. I stared at them dumbfounded. They all were grinning from ear to ear, and Esme had tears in her eyes. Carlisle must have sensed my confusion, because he decided to break the news that changed my life forever._

"_Bella, the university authorities had called us to inform that you will be graduating a year earlier than everyone, due to your stellar performance in all the projects and examinations. Do you know what it means?" he waited for me to respond, but when he realized that I couldn't form any coherent sentence, he said, "That means Bella that you can become a special field agent for the FBI at an age of 20 itself, while others have to wait till they are 23."_

_I shook my head to clear my shock. Immediately the strong arms of my father and brother engulfed me, while my mother stood beside us, crying softly and looking at me with a feeling of pride and immense happiness at my accomplishment. At that moment, I could no longer contain myself. I broke out into sobs, as the nervousness and anticipation had wrecked my emotions. I felt so relieved and happy at this news, because I always wanted to be at the side of my father, trying to save innocent lives and arrest and punish criminals who had tarnished Earth by their mere presence. I always wanted to feel the adrenaline course through my veins as I worked on my mission. Whenever my father told us the different incidents he had witnessed, I would always place myself in his shoes, and wonder what I would have done in his place. When they released me, I sobbed into my mother's shoulder, who held me tightly and rocked me gently to calm me. That is when I had vowed that I would never look back and would stride through my way and also establish myself in the FBI ranks. I would show everyone that even women had the toughness and strength to be field agents. I would give them no reason to criticize me, and would make my loved ones proud of me. After all, I was going to get my dream job!_

_*-End FLASHBACK-*_

Carlisledecided that since I would be younger than the other special field agents, especially those who had graduated in information & technology, I should receive two years of intensive training to prepare me physically and mentally for field operations. The next day he was going to introduce one of his trustworthy subordinates who had accepted to take the responsibility to train me. He told that the guy was Edward Masen, one of the best men in the organization. He was only 22, but just like her he too had been accepted early and in two years time, he had shown everyone his true mettle and capabilities. When Alice came to know this, she decided to take me to a shopping trip to equip my wardrobe for training, saying that I would need comfortable and tough clothes, but at the same time they should be fashionable. Lost in thoughts, I quickly dried myself and entered my bedroom, wrapped in the soft towels. I saw the outfit that Alice had chosen for me and placed on my bed. It was a sequined tank top with acid-stained demin shorts, black fishnet stockings and a cream belted faux fur coat. It was cute yet sexy at the same time. I had to agree that the pixie's sense of style and fashion was incredible. After I got dressed up, I let Alice know that I was ready. When Alice saw me dressed, she pulled me in front of the saloon, and got her equipment ready. I decided to simply let her work her magic, since trying to defy her would cause me to face her wrath, which is not a pretty sight. After half an hour of primping and curling, I finally opened my eyes. She had curled my golden-mahogany hair into retro waves with a side partition, and completed the look with a white crochet beret. Luckily she kept my make up minimal, with just some clear lip-gloss and some black kohl outlining my eyes. She paired up my ensemble with some brown knee length boots with heels, and I had to admit that I looked pretty.

"thankyoualiceyourthebest!" I said in a single breath and hugged her tight. She simply laughed, and then entwining our hands, we headed out to the hall where the guys were waiting. Emmett was forced to come with us, as he had no other work to do, and wanted to spend ample bonding time with us before he left for his work in a few days. Jasper, on the other hand was coming with us since Alice asked him to. I didn't mind, knowing that by the measure of shopping Alice would be doing today, any number of extra hands to hold the bags would help me. We climbed into Jazz's Maybach Exelero. We went to Bloomingdale's, and as soon as she entered, she went into a shopping frenzy. We decided to let the boys have their fun, and told them that we would call them when we were done and then they could come and pick us up. From store-to-store Alice dragged me, and I soon realized that it was useless to keep up resistance. She threw various outfits at me, and ushered me to the closest trial room with a heap of clothes in my hands. The clothes varied from sundresses to jumpsuits and skinny jeans to tough leggings. Apparently, she feels that I should be prepared for all types of situations. Actually, she just needed a reason to shop. After a few hours of wandering and selecting, we approached the payment counter. Just before us stood a tall woman, with long blond hair and piercing blue eyes. She had the perfect figure, and looked like a runaway model. Just standing in the same room as her lowered my self-esteem. She was shouting angrily in her cell. Alice appraised her outfit, and in a few seconds, she smiled gleefully, happy to meet someone who had a similar sense and love for fashion.

"OMG Bella! I had seen that scarf that she is wearing in the latest edition of The Vogue, and let me tell you, it is a rare find." Saying so, Alice tapped the shoulder of the woman ahead of us. She looked to be around 20-22, almost our age. When she turned and met Alice's gaze, she looked at her in a disinteresting manner.

"Hey! I'm Alice Brandon and that scarf which you are wearing is absolutely gorgeous! I had seen it in Vogue and was searching for it everywhere. It is one of the rarest pieces of Gucci. I love it!" she told her gleefully.

"Ms. Rosalie, your dress alterations are completed. You can collect them now." The desk attendant told her, whom we came to know was called Rosalie. She simply flicked her hair over her shoulder, and without sparing us a glance, she walked away, with her heels clicking. Alice looked at her retreating figure with sad eyes, as a sense of rejection washed over her. I quickly called the guys to come and meet us outside the store, in an effort to lighten her mood. We quickly paid for the clothes, and grabbed many bags in each hand and headed out. When we met them, they noticed the absence of Alice's usually bubbly mood after shopping. When I told them what happened, jasper immediately hugged her and kissed her softly. Emmett simply ruffled her hair and promised to teach a lesson to the woman who messed with his squirt. She simply nodded, but when I promised to gift her the same scarf on Christmas, she screamed gleefully, and resumed her previous happy mood. We headed to the food court, and were simply chatting and discussing. Alice revealed that after graduating from her fashion designing school, she would accept the internship she received from Ralph Lauren and then if possible she would launch her own line. I told everyone about the advanced training in which Carlisle had put me in. they too approved of his idea. Jasper had already received his acceptance to Harvard medical college, and would be heading there after graduation. He wanted to get a doctorate in child psychiatrist field. Emmett was made the vice president of his law firm due to his success streak, but he was deciding to do something else when a suitable time came. I took a deep breath, feeling the excitement grow in my bodies, in anticipation to my meeting with my trainer the next day. Never did I think that a single meeting could change my life forever.

_Only time will tell._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

BPOV:

The next morning, I woke up at 7 am. Since there was still time for breakfast, I decided to go outside and take a quick run. I quickly pulled my long hair into a ponytail, and put a simple tank top and shorts. I work some purple tennis shoes and grabbed my iPod from the nightstand. When I saw my parents in the hall, I told them where I was heading to, and promised to be back in time for breakfast. When I reached the outside of the mansion, I contemplated between going to the jogging track or taking a entirely different route through the woods. I decided to try the woods out of sheer curiosity. When I headed towards the main gate, I saw jasper and Emmett playing on the basketball court. When they noticed me, they called me to join them. I was the captain of the varsity girls' basketball team. I decided to try out my skills on my brothers. Who knows, I might end up knowing some cool tricks myself. After a few minutes of frolicking and playful shoving, I we decided to show each other our favourite shots. Emmett, owing to his huge muscular frame, showed us an excellent slam-dunk, while jasper and I wolf-whistled. After giving each other hi-fi's, jasper showed us an impressive layup. I was ready to show hem the shot for which I was well known for, my infamous circus-shot. After a few more minutes of showing each other some shots, we decided to have a small match of 16 points. The first to reach 16 points would get a treat from the other two. It was not that we couldn't afford to treat ourselves, but just the spirit of competitiveness. Midway of the game, Carlisle called us in to come and get some breakfast. We quickly ditched the match, and headed towards the dining room. After quickly washing up, we dove hungrily into the delicious food, which Esme had prepared. When she saw us shoveling down the food, she looked at us affectionately.

"It seems that we have reared pigs rather than our children." Carlisle told light heartedly.

"Just stop it hon. Just look at them, they have become so skinny." Esme said.

We sat down and had breakfast discussing our plans for tomorrow, as it was Christmas Eve. The Brandon's would be joining us definitely, and so were some friends from Carlisle office and Esme's business. We decided to invite my trainer Edward Masen to our house at 9 in the morning, so we all quickly finished our breakfast and decided to get ready. I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, dried my hair, and decided to wear some simple yet comfortable clothes. I decided to wear a simple jewel collar crop top, with my favourite black skinny jeans. Alice had filled my wardrobe with heels of different types, so I decided to wear some simple black velvet pumps. Pulling my hair into a simple side braid, I headed downstairs.

We all assembled in the hall to receive our guest. Meanwhile I decided to pass the time by reading one of my favourite novels of all time, 'The Wuthering Heights.' When we heard tyres screeching into our entrance, a maid came inside to inform us of the latest arrival. I tapped my foot nervously, wondering whether he would agree to help me even after meeting me. Suddenly, Carlisle and Esme stood and went to the entrance to receive him, while jasper, Emmett and I waited for them to come to the hall. Then I saw him:

A tall man, around 6 foot tall, with broad strong shoulders came into sight. His figure was chiseled, with his strong muscles straining from his shirt. He was neither too bulky nor too skinny, just perfect. His toned abs were visible even from the tight grey sweater that he wore. His dark blue jeans were hanging dangerously low on his hips. Then I saw his face, and I felt my breath hitch. He was like an angel, with fair, pure skin. He had high cheekbones and angular jaws. His full lips were enthralling and kissable. What stood out were his eyes and hair. Oh his hair, the tousled locks were of a rich bronze color, shining bright under the light. It looks so silky, that I had to control the urge to run my fingers through his hair. The startling thing about him were his eyes. They were a vibrant green in color, with specks of honey and gold at the rim. I found myself loosing in those eyes, and continued to stare into them without any sense of time. He was just like a Greek god, like my personal Adonis. Wait. _My _Adonis? Where did that come from?

'Control your thoughts Bella' I chided myself.

I was pulled out of my reverie by Emmett's less than subtle clearing of his throat. I immediately looked down out of embarrassment for being caught, and immediately blood rushed into my cheeks. I heard a musical chuckle, but when I looked up, I saw him looking at me with a cold gaze. How did his mood change so suddenly?

"Hello Edward, this is my family. This is Esme, my wife, Emmett, my eldest son. Next to him is jasper, my second child, and then my youngest and only daughter, Isabella." Carlisle introduced us.

"Hello everyone, I am Edward Masen, and I am the sub-head of the special field agents department and work directly under chief Cullen. Its my pleasure to meet you all." He said politely.

We all proceeded and sat down in the hall, and Carlisle decided to brief him about my present situation.

"Edward, as I have previously told you, my daughter Isabella graduated from the Columbia University a year earlier, and due to her special merits, the FBI board has accepted to accept her a year earlier that the others. She has graduated in Information & technology, and it was a childhood dream of hers to join the FBI and to work along with me. However, I decided to give her some intensive training before she can join the ranks, so that she will be familiar with everything during her service. Edward, I trust you with this task. Consider this a task from the Board. I hope you will accept to help her. I will not force you, and it is entirely optional.

"Sir, I accept this mission, and I hope you have complete trust in me that I will give your daughter the proper training in due time. I would like to have a quick word with her. Alone." Edward said.

I gestured him to follow me to the nearest guest room on the ground floor. When we entered the room, I closed the door and locked it, and showed hi the couches to sit down. When we were both seated on the opposite couches, he forwarded his hand for a quick handshake. When I held his arm to shake, a surge of electricity flowed through me, like a shock. I immediately pulled my hand away, and saw that he too had done the same. So even he felt the same shock as me. Could it really be due to static? I pondered silently.

"I am Edward Masen, and since I have accepted this mission, I shall be your trainer and instructor. Just because you have graduated early or are going to join the ranks early, do not get a false feeling of prestige. Everyone under me is equal for me, and I judge them only on their abilities and performances, and not by their merits and letters of recommendation. I hope you understand this point clearly." He said coldly.

"Yes sir." I nodded solemnly. This guy was a tough guy. I could already make out how working under him would be like.

"Good. Tomorrow you will have to report to me at 8 am sharp in the headquarters. First we are going to polish your technical skills, as that is your core strength. Since you desire to be a special field agent, you must also have to improve your physical and mental endurance. So tomorrow when you report, we shall have your schedule prepared. Based on your performance in the first 6 months, we will decide your further training. If you fail to impress the Board and me by then and do not give them any significant results, you will have to reapply to join the FBI just like the other normal candidates do so. Not even your father will be able to help you then." He said in an implying tone, completed with an arrogant smirk.

I saw red in my vision. What was he trying to imply? Did he mean to say that my father had pulled some strings to get me early acceptance? He knew nothing about me. He had no right to judge me so soon. How could he simply speak like that without knowing anything? I willed myself to calm down. He doesn't know anything about me after all. I decided to simply answer him with a nod of my head.

"Right. Also remember; never get on my nerves, unless you want to kiss your dream goodbye. Punctuality is a must. Even a minute late, and you will have already ruined your first impression." Saying so, he swiftly got up and headed to the door. I followed him and unlocked it for him, after which he stormed out. He went to the hall, and bid my parents and brothers farewell. He told them briefly about our conversation, and after exchanging his goodbyes, he left quickly.

'Mr. Edward Masen, you know nothing about me. Now you better watch out. I will prove myself tomorrow, and not even your arrogance will be able to intimidate me.' I gave myself a pep talk.

No all I had to do was just wait to prove myself.

EPOV:

When I looked at her, my entire world froze. She was the most heavenly creature I had laid my eyes across. Though chief had already told me all the information about his daughter, yet I couldn't help but form an opinion about her. I knew that she was offered this admission in the ranks of the FBI solely on her performance and achievement, and it did not involve chief Cullen in any way, but I couldn't help but form conclusions. When I looked at her, dressed in expensive clothes, I immediately thought of her as one of those fake girls who try to get their way through everything with money and beauty. Her beauty was something heavenly, not anything that belonged on earth. She had a perfect frame of about 5"6, with pale soft skin which contrasted beautifully with her golden-mahogany hair. Her hair was braided skillfully to the side, yet a few escaped strands framed her face. On an impulse, I felt like tucking those strands behind her ear to get a better view of her beautiful face, but decided against it. Her pouty pink lips were so kissable, that he wanted to kiss her senseless. But a glance into her beautiful chocolate brown doe-like eyes, and he lost all his sense. Time appeared to stand still, as he got lost into the deep pools of warm chocolate. When the burly man Emmett loudly cleared his throat, I quickly snapped out of it.

'What the hell Masen, you are not a guy who can be easily swayed by a mere girl. This is not who you are snap out of it.' I chastised myself mentally.

That is when I decided; I would not let this girl sway me ever again. If she has to earn my trust and faith, then she would have to work hard for it. I knew what had happened when the last time I had fallen into the snares of attraction. It had almost ruined me. I could not let that happen to me ever again. Then I had made one of the toughest decisions of my life, that I would be cold and resilient towards this angel. Every fiber of my being protested against this decision, but my brain had something else in store for me.

When I saw her bending her head to hide her blush, I couldn't help but let a chuckle escape my mouth without my permission. When I realized what I had done, I put a cold mask on my face in a split second. When she raised her head to look at me, but only to find a cold hard mask on my face, a flash of confusion came across her features. Hmm… so she is very perceptive. After having a quick word with Carlisle, I decided to get my point across to her, and to clear her of any intentions to be able to crack me. I am a hard nut, not so easy to break through me. When she locked us into one of the guest rooms in the ginormous (A|N: idk if it is a word) Cullen mansion, I spoke to her in an icy tone, trying to establish my supremacy over her. Speaking to her rudely was like driving a knife through my own heart, but I had to do it to prevent myself from suffering from a much larger pain later. A pain of loss, a pain of rejection.

"I am Edward Masen, and since I have accepted this mission, I shall be your trainer and instructor. Just because you have graduated early or are going to join the ranks early, do not get a false feeling of prestige. Everyone under me is equal for me, and I judge them only on their abilities and performances, and not by their merits and letters of recommendation. I hope you understand this point clearly." I said coldly.

When she acknowledged what I had told her, I proceeded to tell her:

"Good. Tomorrow you will have to report to me at 8 am sharp in the headquarters. First we are going to polish your technical skills, as that is your core strength. Since you desire to be a special field agent, you must also have to improve your physical and mental endurance. So tomorrow when you report, we shall have your schedule prepared. Based on your performance in the first 6 months, we will decide your further training. If you fail to impress the Board and me by then and do not give them any significant results, you will have to reapply to join the FBI just like the other normal candidates do so. Not even your father will be able to help you then." I purposely said in an implying tone, and completed it unwillingly with an arrogant smirk. When I saw her furious expression, I realized that my words had hurt her deeply, and I wanted to apologize to her, but I decided to continue speaking.

"Right. Also remember; never get on my nerves, unless you want to kiss your dream goodbye. Punctuality is a must. Even a minute late, and you will have already ruined your first impression."

When I felt that my intentions were clear, I decided to hear out from here, before I could further hurt her. I really wanted to tell her that it was not her fault that I was behaving in such a cold way, but it was just a self-defense method for my body to prevent the pain, which I would suffer later.

As I bid farewell to the Cullen family, I rushed outside, where the valet had brought my car ahead from the basement. I loved my car. It was a beautiful Aston Martin Vanquish, and it held emotional value, as it was my first car. I never really had to work for money, as my father owns one of the biggest and most successful investment banking companies in the world, the 'Masen Investment Bankers Company.' I had only joined the FBI, because I always wanted to do something that I always dreamt of doing in my childhood. I always wanted to be like those secret agents who were portrayed in all the cool spy movies, and when my father told me that I would inherit the company when I would become 25 while my sister Rosalie would get some shares, I decided to make the most of the time available to me. As I sat in the car, weaving through the traffic on a busy New York Monday, one of my favourite songs, 'Supermassive Blackhole' started playing. I leaned down in my car seat, getting lost in the lyrics…

_Oh baby don't you know I suffer?_  
_Oh baby can you hear me moan?_  
_You caught me under false pretenses_  
_how long before you let me go?_

_You set my soul alight_  
_You set my soul alight_

_(You set my soul alight)_  
_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_  
_And the superstars sucked into the Supermassive_

_(You set my soul alight)_  
_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_  
_And the superstars sucked into the 'Supermassive'_

_I thought I was a fool for no one_  
_Oh baby I'm a fool for you_  
_You're the queen of the superficial_  
_And how long before you tell the truth_

_You set my soul alight_  
_You set my soul alight_

_(You set my soul alight)_  
_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_  
_And the superstars sucked into the Supermassive_

_(You set my soul alight)_  
_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_  
_And the superstars sucked into the 'Supermassive'_

_Supermassive black hole_  
_Supermassive black hole_  
_Supermassive black hole_

_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_  
_And the superstars sucked into the Supermassive_

_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_  
_And the superstars sucked into the Supermassive_

_(You set my soul alight)_  
_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_  
_And the superstars sucked into the Supermassive_

_(You set my soul alight)_  
_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_  
_And the superstars sucked into the Supermassive_

_Supermassive black hole_

_Supermassive black hole_

_Supermassive black hole_

All I could do now was hope that Bella would be able to break through all my assumptions and prove herself. Then when a suitable time would come, I would explain all my actions, and beg her for her forgiveness.

_Only time can tell._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

BPOV

_A week later…_

"Seriously Al, I don't know what he thinks of himself. I have rejected him five times in a row, and yet he keeps asking me out. I'm seriously fed up. And yesterday, outside the head office, that was the final straw." I wallowed, while Alice sat across my table at the café, snuggled in jasper's embrace.

"Who keeps asking you out?" Emmett asked, after catching the end of our conversation.

"A nit-wit called Mike Newton." I spat out. I decided to tell them

A week had gone by since the day Edward met us at my house. The next day at training was quite… _eventful. _When I arrived spot on at 8 AM, neither a minute early, nor a minute late, I was amused to find him seated in his office chair, listening to Debussy. But as soon as he saw me, he quickly fumbled for the stop button of the stereo, and gave me a long hard glare, as if trying to say '_you don't remember anything about this.'_ I decided to play along with him, and tried to act as if I hadn't caught him.

"Yes sir?" I tried to say nonchalantly, as if I hadn't heard anything.

"Swan, you cannot enter my office without knocking. Get it?" Edward almost growled out, while I just stared at him amused. Why didn't he want anyone to know that he listened to classical music? Fairly speaking, I love Debussy. His compositions are so intricate and beautiful…

"As you say, sir." I replied, trying hard to not show my amusement in my tone.

After giving me a disbelieving look, he told me that we would head to the training centre, and sort out with our schedule. He quickly got up, and guided me to the elevator. We headed to the 3rd level, where many training rooms and simulator rooms especially for new entrants were present. He took us to a room, where a few others who would receive training with me simultaneously were present. I headed towards the loosely formed group, and after some basic introductions and exchanging pleasantries, Edward ordered us to assemble in a line.

"Now that we all have assembled, I want to introduce myself. I am Edward Masen, the head of the department for special field agents. I work directly under chief Carlisle Cullen, so on his orders, we have assembled a special team to train you all. While all of you except for Ms. Isabella Cullen are 23 years old and above, Isabella here has won an opportunity to join us early in the ranks. Congratulations Ms. Cullen, I hope you don't fail our trust. Right. So the plan goes like this…" he kept explaining us how there were different trainers for different aspects, like strengthening, conditioning, endurance, speed, agility, mental capability, software skills/other such special skills, and so on. Different trainers would be provided to us so that they can train us efficiently in the area of their expertise. As Edward had mentioned previously at my house, after 6 months of gruelling training, a report would be made on us based on the daily assessment done by Edward, as he was the in charge of this training program. If we provided satisfactory results, we would be retained for further training.

I vaguely remembered a few names of the other students. I remembered a very shy but kind and friendly girl called Angela Weber. There were two Barbie- blondes who concentrated more on drooling over Edward's abs than on his instructions. Hmm… Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley. Typical girls. There was a preppy/cocky guy called Tyler Crowley, who flirted with me incessantly, but was much better than Mike. Mike Newton was also another student, and in his inbuilt dictionary, there was no word called _**NO**__. _Seriously, that guy kept on hitting on me so much, that even Edward looked at him with amusement clearly evident in his eyes.

Edward. Now he was a completely different case. When he had come to my house, he behaved very cold and distant. But here, at the head-office I felt as if I finally got t see his true self. It was as if his cold exterior was sort of a defense mechanism of his body. During our training sessions, he was a perfect teacher for me. He ensured that I was comfortable, encouraged and praised often but also did not refrain from pointing out my mistakes, however small they may be. During our workout sessions for strengthening, he would give us much-required breaks, but would also push us to our limits.

"Bend more Swan. All the way down!" he said as I tried to do one of the various exercises we were forced to do. I tried my hardest, yet I simply couldn't reach the floor without bending my knees and unraveling myself from my position. When Edward saw me, he rushed to my side. When he placed both his palms on my waist, tingles of electricity flowed through my body. At any other time, I would have considered it as intrusion of my personal space, but right then, it felt… _right_. As if his hands were meant to be there.

He gently turned my waist into the correct position, and corrected my position. If this was what I would get for every mistake, then I would gladly make mistakes after mistakes.

I shook my head, trying to clear off such thoughts. I simply couldn't deny it any more. I really liked Edward Masen. I have never met any man in my life, who was so dedicated to his job, but at the same time lived life to the fullest. He was always sure of himself, but also was grounded. His father was one of the richest businessmen in the world, yet he never let that affect his ego. Once you got across his cold facade, you will notice the wonderful man beneath. Every aspect of him attracted me to him. His unruly bronze hair framed his angular features perfectly. Whenever I just looked into his enchanting green eyes, it felt as if I could see right through his soul.

Over the past week, there had been a huge development between us. It seemed as if I could break through some of his assumptions about me. As the days passed, he became much warmer and friendlier. It was perfect. He was perfect. After our training session, at lunch break, we both would sit together and talk about our favourite music, books, food, colors, everything. It felt as if I could bare my soul to him and not be afraid. I never felt inhibited near him, and his mere presence gave me a sense of safety and warmth. I never felt such emotions, especially with a person I knew barely for a week. But it was a part of his charm.

After finishing lunch with him in the common cafeteria, we headed for our target practice session, where we had to train for shooting our targets with our designated Smith and Wesson 686 .38 caliber special revolver, especially for long range shooting. We were taken to a desert set up, where dummy enemies were placed at strategic places behind makeshift cliffs and other barriers. Our training session included us to wear our camouflage uniforms, and try to tackle and shoot the dummies from afar. I had to say, it was quite intense. Every one sported a look of concentration, as we had to be sure of our shots. Every missed shot was like a mark on our final evaluation sheets. After 3 hours of gruelling training, we headed back to our centre. When I alighted from the bus and was about to enter the building, I saw a blonde perverted psycho leaning on the glass panes, waiting for someone. Ugh… doesn't Mike seriously get a damn hint?

I quickened my pace, hoping that I would go unnoticed. It seemed that fates were not in my favor, and rather than getting unnoticed, I grabbed his attention. Plastering a fake smile, I went ahead to the main doors as if he wasn't present, but…

"Hey babe, I missed ya!" mike's words slurred. Did he want to commit suicide? Appearing at the head office in a drunken state?

"Mike, I'm not your babe. Before I do anything I would regret later, get aside and let me go." I hissed between my teeth. It seemed that the alcohol had clogged up his brain, because the message clearly didn't enter his brain. Rather, he grabbed my shoulders, and pushed me against the cool glass, and enclosed me by placing both his hands on either side of my face on the glass behind. His putrid breath fanned my face, causing me to dry heave. He began feeling my body with his hands, making me feel sick.

" My sweet Isabella, where were you? I waited so long for you, just come to me babe, I know you want me as much as I want you. Stop playing such silly games." Saying so, he cupped my breasts, and squeezed them.

Red seeped in my vision. How dare he grope me? Immediately, I mustered all my power, and shoved my knee hard at the place where it hurts the most. Immediately, he let go of me, and grabbed his crotch. I pushed him in front of the building, and began kicking him wherever I could reach. I held my palm in a fist, and aimed hard for his nose. When I heard a satisfying crunch, I screamed at him:

"Keep your hands to yourself, you perverted sicko! You don't even know how to respect a woman! I swear to god that if I ever see your face again, I will damage it so much that you will never recognize yourself."

But when I saw an arrogant smirk on his face, I just couldn't hold on for much longer. I slapped him hard on both his cheeks, causing his skin to stain with my handprints. I pushed him hard, making him fall on the ground. I could hear people screaming for me to stop, but I paid no heed. I gave him a powerful kick in his ribs, and as I was about to give him another, warm familiar hands pulled me back, and distanced me from that pervert.

"Bella! Calm down! Take deep breaths! Listen to me Bella!" I tried to trash against his arms, but was held tight against his iron grip.

Edward quickly turned me around, and raised my chin to make me meet his eyes.

"Trust me Bella when I say he deserved what you did to him. Now let me handle him." With that, he encased me in his protective embrace. I desperately clutched at his shirt, refusing to let go of him. He rubbed my arms comfortingly, and gently stroked my back in a vain attempt to calm me down. When I let out a low whimper, he released me, and turned towards mike, placing himself between us.

"This is from me Newton." With that, he punched him hard in the jaw, followed by a snap sound.

He held my hand and walked me to his office, where he grabbed a bandage, and wrapped my torn knuckles after applying some ointment on the cut skin. After taping everything, he again pulled me into a hug.

"I'm deeply sorry that you had to go through that Bella. If treating your hand wasn't my first priority, I would have personally gone and castrated him." Pressing a soft kiss on my forehead, he released me, and gave a one-over, checking for damage. When he found none, he let out his breath in a huff.

"Thank you Edward. Really." I smiled warmly at him, as he shook his head.

"Its nothing Bella. I think you should head back home. Come lets grab a cab, anyway I need to speak to the chief." Saying so, we headed to my house. Carlisle had taken a day off, since Esme wanted him to go through some complete body check-up. We sat in the cab in comfortable silence, with his arm draped over my shoulders soothingly. I placed my head on his shoulder, and closed my eyes.

"Sleep my beautiful Bella…" his voice trailed off as I slipped into a deep sleep.

EPOV: (from the time he gets down the bus)

I slung the duffel over my shoulder, and decided to head over to my office. Today's training was very um…. interesting. Mike had banged up himself while trying to open the door of the bus. Quite an interesting beginning for the training. I don't really think that he would last long enough. I'm sure by the end of the evaluations, he would be eliminated. Same would go for Tyler. This reminds me of the matter at hand.

I decided to run up to my office, as I had to evaluate every one for their performance they had put up today at the training. I found a few of my students to exceptionally well, like Bella, Ben, Angela, Austin, and so on. As I alighted the bus, the sight ahead of me enraged me to no ends. There stood pressed up against the glass doors was Bella, with a clearly drunk mike hovering over her. He bent down in an action, which appeared to be kissing, but instead let his hands roam over her body. Forgetting everything, I began running towards her. By the time I reached her, she had already begun to trash mike. If I had to speak the truth, I really didn't mind her trashing him, but I didn't want her to get hurt over such a worthless piece of shit. So I did the only thing I could do to break the fight, come in between them. I grabbed an enraged Bella from behind, and tried to pull her away from mike, whose face was now slowly swelling, obviously from Bella's blows. I was quite proud of her accomplishment, but wary of the circumstances in which this incident occurred. She began to trash helplessly in my arms, trying to escape my iron grip hold. Hah! As if she could. She was in such an agitated state that it would be impossible for her to think logically.

"Bella! Calm down! Take deep breaths! Listen to me Bella!" I tried to calm her down. I quickly turned her around, and raised her chin to make her meet my eyes.

"Trust me Bella when I say he deserved what you did to him. Now let me handle him." With that, pulled her snug against my body, in an attempt to calm her down enough to listen to what I was saying. She desperately clutched at my shirt, refusing to let go of me. Not that I really minded it. I rubbed her arms comfortingly, and gently stroked her back. When she let out a low whimper, I released her, and turned towards mike, placing myself between us.

"This is from me Newton." With that, I punched him hard in the jaw, which was followed by a snap sound. I held her hand and walked with her to my office, where I grabbed a bandage, and wrapped her torn knuckles after applying some ointment on the cut skin. After taping everything, I again pulled me into a hug.

"I'm deeply sorry that you had to go through that Bella. If treating your hand wasn't my first priority, I would have personally gone and castrated him."

I decided to see once again if she was hurt anywhere else. Mike was not some scrawny guy. If he wanted, he could cause serious damage. It seemed that in his drunken stupor, he couldn't do anything. When I could not fine any indication of her being hurt anywhere else, I let out my breath in a huff. It was then that I realized that I had held my breath.

"Thank you Edward. Really." She smiled warmly at me. I just shook my head. She was the one who got hurt, because I didn't pull her away soon enough, and now she was thanking me? Silly Bella.

"Its nothing Bella. I think you should head back home. Come lets grab a cab, anyway I need to speak to the chief." Saying so, we headed to her house. We sat in the cab in comfortable silence, and I drape my arm around her shoulders, letting her know that I was always there for her.

I really didn't have to speak to the chief, but I would feel better if I accompanied her to her house. I wondered from where I was getting these protective feeling towards Bella. Who wouldn't? She was so innocent and fragile, whereas this world was dark and evil. Anyone could simply take advantage of her. I'm not saying that she isn't smart or skilled enough, but I simply couldn't bear to see her hurt.

I was broken out of my stupor when I felt her put her head on my shoulder. I turned to look at her, only to find her asleep. Right then, she looked so peaceful, as if she didn't have a single worry in the world. She looked even more beautiful, as if that was even possible. She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever met. And what made her the most beautiful person to walk on this earth was the fact that she never acknowledged her beauty. Even if she did, she never let if cloud her mind.

"Sleep my beautiful Bella…" My voice trailed off, and I pressed my lips against her forehead. I shifted her carefully, so as to not disturb her. Now her legs were sprawled along the length of the seat, while she was in my lap with her forehead against my chest. This moment felt so right, I couldn't explain the sudden feeling of euphoria that I was feeling. It was at this moment that I realized that my feelings for this angel ran much deeper than friendship. But I could never expect her to feel the same way. Who was I to deserve her feelings? All I could expect and hope was that for her to never break our friendship. I would preserve every moment we had together. I let out a deep breath, and looked out of the cab window, seeing the busy New York streets wind by…..


	4. author's note

AUTHOR NOTE:

hey guys! i'm finally back!

but i'm gonna ask you guys something.

i would like a minimum "2" reviews before i continue with the story. i am asking this because i want assurance that someone is reading this story, and whether i should continue with the story, or i would end up doing nothing but timewaste.

also put forth your feelings, reviews, views and ideas. i would definitely like to read them!


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: this chapter is dedicated to MARGASANTOS, IRISH FEY and LANTUS123, who were the first 3 people to review my previous chapter!**

Chapter 4:

EPOV (continued)

"Here you go, sir." The cabbie said once we arrived at the gates of the Cullen mansion. I threw a $20 note at him, and didn't bother with the change. I looked at Bella, who was deep asleep. I didn't want to wake her up, but I didn't know how well she would take the news of me carrying her all the way. I decided to take the risk, and swung her up in my arms. A hand beneath her knees, and a hand beneath her shoulder.

I checked her breathing: it was deep and regular. Phew… she didn't wake up. I walked along the long drive, and glanced at the skillfully manicured gardens. They were really beautiful. He entire drive was lined with beautiful flowers of almost every kind.

As I approached the front door, I was approached by around 6 guards. I flashed them my FBI id card, and pointed out the sleeping angel in my arms. They must have understood what I had trying to explain, because they let me in without any further ado. As I stepped inside the Cullen mansion, a spectacular hallway greeted me. The roof was high and magnificent, and crystal chandeliers lighted up the entire hallway. The servants standing pointed out the hall, where the Cullen family was assimilated at that time.

I entered the huge hall, and saw the brothers: Emmett and Jasper playing Guitar Hero. Chief Carlisle was seated with Esme on the plush loveseat, and they were looking over some important looking papers. I decided to announce my arrival, and cleared my throat.

Startled, Carlisle and Esme immediately looked up. When they saw me, they smiled, but when they saw Bella in my arms, they shot out of their seats and rushed to my side. They noticed my wary expression.

"What happened Agent Cullen? What happened to my daughter?" Asked a flustered Carlisle. Esme simply stood there, with a doctor-like expression on her face, who was evaluating their patient. She must have noticed the bandages on her hand, because she asked me "Has she hurt herself again?"

"Mrs. Cullen, I guess you all should sit down. First I think we should lay Bella in her bed." I said. They nodded their heads in approval, and Carlisle came forward to collect Bella from my arms. I was reluctant at first, but I could not overstep my boundaries, so I was helpless at that point. However, Bella had some other plans. When I tried to pry away her fingers from my shirt, she clutched onto me tighter. Carlisle too much have observed this, because he donned a resigned expression on his face.

Together we headed upstairs to her room. Esme opened the doors, and I walked to the middle of the room, where there was a circular mahogany bed. The entire room had a brown-gold hue to it, which simple screamed 'BELLA'. An entire wall was replaced with glass, which overlooked the gardens behind the mansion. I could even see the private swimming pool from there. The bed was covered with a golden comforter, and different sized cushion-y pillows of different sizes and shades of brown and golden were bunched at one end. Carlisle lifted the comforter, while I gently placed Bella on the bed.

Both Carlisle and Esme kissed her temple, and as we exited the room, Esme dimmed the lights to a suitable brightness. We silently headed down the stairs to the hall. When we reached the end, I saw Emmett and Jasper sitting on the couches, both wearing identical masks of confusion. So they must have noticed my sudden appearance and everyone heading to Bella's bedroom. After climbing down the final set of stairs, we went towards the sofas, and sat down.

"Forgive my manners, Mr. Cullen. Martha, come here, quick! Bring something for our guest to drink." Esme called for the servant 'Martha', who turned out to be a maid in her early forties.

"That's all right, Mrs. Cullen. I don't mind at all. And you can call me Edward." I smiled at her.

"Then I insist you call me Esme. Mrs. Cullen makes me feel very old." Everyone chuckled at that. Martha entered the room, pushing along a trolley with a wide assortment of wines, amongst other stuff. I simply grabbed a glass of lemonade, and decided to tell them of the events which had followed.

"Carlisle, Esme, Jasper and Emmett, I'm sure you all would be interested in knowing what has happened. It happened so that today, when we returned from out training session, an episode had occurred between Bella and her co-trainee Michael. I was alighting from our bus, when I saw him pressing himself against her. He was groping her."

"He did WHAT?" Emmett bellowed.

"Shut up Emmett, and let him complete!" Esme reprimanded him, while he glared at me. I decided to continue.

"By the time I reached them, Bella had already separated herself from him, and she had begun to mercilessly beat the crap out him. She kicked him in the groin, threw punches at his face, and slapped him hard on both the cheeks. I'm sure the hand prints will remain for a while on his face."

"Serves him right. No one messes with my sister." Jasper muttered angrily. All the while, Carlisle wore a poker-faced expression.

"So when I reached them, I pulled her away from him. What Newton did, enraged me to no bounds. Since Bella was my first priority, I simply punched him hard in the jaw, and left him only when I could hear the snap of his jaw. Then I took Bella, cleaned and wrapped up her knuckles, and brought her here by a cab. She fell asleep on the way, an she looked too peaceful for me to wake her up, so here we are." I concluded, and took a sip of my water.

"Edward, we can never thank you enough for what you have done for us. If that vile disgusting pig would have done something to her, I simply would not be able to bear it. I shall report a sexual harassment case against him, and on my orders, Newton is suspended for 2 months, until a proper decision against him has been taken. I hope you will carry on my orders." Carlisle said.

"Of course, sir. As you wish."

"Hey man, thanks for bringing Bella home. We really appreciate it." Jasper said.

"Yeah man, you're a cool guy. We should hand out some time, get a couple of drinks, yeah?" Emmett quipped.

"Yeah, that will be cool. I would love to hang out with you guys!" I said happily. It would definitely do me good to have a few friends.

"I guess I should leave now, it's late enough."

"Edward, why don't you stay for dinner? Please, we would love to have you for dinner." Esme chimed in. I was pretty hungry, and I have heard from Bella that her mother's cooking was pretty awesome. I decided to have dinner in the Cullen household.

"If you don't mind. I wouldn't want to intrude you all."

"No, you will not intrude us at all. Let's have dinner, son." Carlisle said, as we headed to the dining room. The entire room had a yellowish tinge from the chandeliers above, but it also had a cool look with the technology present in the room. Overall, it was really good looking.

The 12-seater table was covered with different dishes. Emmett literally squealed at the sight ahead, and ran like it was the first time he had seen food in some days. He grabbed a plate, and piled up his food, and dug in without any hesitation. I chuckled at his antics. It was good to know that the Cullen family too was like any other normal family.

"Susan, why don't you take up some dinner for Bella?" Carlisle asked the maid standing there.

"Yes, sir." She replied. Carlisle simply smiled a dazzling smile in return, which flustered the maid. So this was the reputed Cullen charm… hmm….

The dinner went by normally. We all spoke with each other as if we were a family. They never made me feel as if I was a guest. It was actually quite heart warming.

Suddenly, a soprano like voice spoke "Hey guys! Oh hello Mr. Cullen. Where is Bella?" I turned around to be met by Alice Brandon.

"Hey, call me Edward." I smiled at her warmly.

"Then you have to call me Alice! And if you call me by any of those stupid names Emmett made up, then I will make sure that you can never produce children!" I simply smirked.

"Yo squirt! Bella is in her bedroom. She bashed up some badass guy. Join us for dinner! Mom made cheese lasagna! YAAY!"

"Oh my god Emmett. Do you care for anything else in this world apart from food? Wait. Don't bother answering that question." Alice said, as she grabbed a plate and took some of the delicious lasagna. Meanwhile, I told her what had happened with Bella.

"Who is that guy, mike? He deserves it. I'll go upstairs and make sure Bella's alright!"

"Bye Alice!" everyone chorused.

Meanwhile, I finished my dinner, and after cleaning up myself. I grabbed my coat, thanked the Cullen's for their hospitality, and decided to head home. As I hailed a cab to go to my penthouse, I began to think about the training that I had to give to these newbies. During their time here, trainees participate in a variety of training activities. Classroom hours are spent studying a wide variety of academic and investigative subjects, including the fundamentals of law, behavioral science, report writing, forensic science, and basic and advanced investigative, interviewing, and intelligence techniques. Students also learn the intricacies of counterterrorism, counterintelligence, weapons of mass destruction, cyber, and criminal investigations to prepare them for their chosen career paths. The curriculum also includes intensive training in physical fitness, defensive tactics, practical application exercises, and the use of firearms. Over the course of their career, agents are also updated on the latest developments in the intelligence and law enforcement communities through additional training opportunities.

This was a hectic job, but I love it for what it is. Because of this, I got to meet Bella…

**A/N: hey guys! I know that this was a sort of filler chapter, but the next is going to make your heart race with anticipation. Also, thing between bella and edward are gonna pick up!**

**REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

BPOV

The last thing I remembered that night before sleeping was that Edward, in his velvety tone had said, "Sleep my beautiful Bella…"

I'm sure I was mistaken, because there was no way that a Greek God like Edward Masen would consider me, the plain Jane, as 'beautiful'. How I wish it were true…

Alice had explained to me the other day after I had woken up that I had fallen asleep in the cab, and Edward had carried me all the way to my bedroom. I could never thank him enough for that. That morning when I went to training, I received a pleasant surprise: Mike Newton was suspended!

A week had passed from the day of the incident. Every time I met Edward, he would greet me with a long, tight hug. Not that I minded. I would thank him for all that he had done for me. This week was very significant, because this week I had realized that the feelings that I had for Edward ran deeper than a mere friendship. I felt so secure when he enclosed me in one of those heart-warming hugs of his. The way his hands wound around my waist, as if they were meant to be. My head would be tucked under the crook of his neck, and our bodies would fit perfectly, as if they were two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. There statements may seem cheesy, but it was the truth. His mere touch would calm me down. His unique crooked grin would set my heart racing every time. But it was not his physical attributes that enticed me, but it was his soul. His personality. His passion. His nature. It was he as a whole.

It was time I realized that I, Isabella Cullen, was falling hard for Edward Masen.

_{A FEW DAYS LATER}_

Today was another fine Sunday morning. Until Alice dropped by. She realized that Jasper was not available, so she decided to drag me to shopping. This demon of pixie…

According to Ms. Fashion Queen, my wardrobe was lacking some fun outfits. So the next moment, I found myself standing outside the exclusive showroom of Dolce & Gabbana. Immediately, she pulled me through racks and racks of sundresses, shorts, halters, and all the preppy, cheery-looking clothes. Finally, after collecting a mountain of clothes, Alice pushed me into a changing room, and dumped few clothes in my arms. I sighed. I really hoped that jasper would be able to rein in this pixie after marriage. That is if the fool would have the guts to propose. That reminds me, why the hell was Emmett looking so love sick these days? I got to ask him.

Internally shaking my head, I removed my clothes, and tried the ones that Alice had chosen for me. After modeling the clothes for around 2-3 hours, Alice left me off the hook. I wouldn't have to worry about payment. Alice had my credit card.

We had started quite early in the morning, and Alice didn't give me enough time to have a decent breakfast. So I left the store, and decided to get some hot coffee. Maybe some caffeine would do the trick. Thinking so, I headed to the nearest Starbucks, which was right down the street. I entered the café, and ordered for a hazelnut vanilla cinnamon espresso with extra white mocha and caramel. I also ordered it to be extra hot. After handing her $10 and few coins, and headed out. I grabbed the coffee but the rim of the cup, since the cup was scalding hot. When I was nearing an alley, I heard a sort of commotion. Immediately, my agent senses perked up. **(A/N: I loved the way it sounded) **Carlisle always made sure that I carried my gun with me, which all the agents who had passed the first level of training had received, including me. I reached for my coat pocket, and fingered the familiar cold metal of the gun. Silently, I walked along the alley, only to find the most unexpected sight ahead of me…

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There stood the Rosalie Masen, her arms flailing around her self, in a vain attempt to fight off the drunks who had cornered her against the alley-wall. The alley was quite dark, so I assumed that the vile men assumed that their activities would not be noticed by anyone. I decided to let my presence known.

"Ye guys, you could have done a better job, if you were much quieter. "

Immediately, everyone's heads quipped up towards me. I noticed the pleading look she gave me, begging me to save her from the men. I remembered that day back in the mall, when Rosalie openly belittled Alice. But it was not the time to harbor grudges. I did a quick calculation: there were 8 men. All were well built, but my training should be able to save the day. Let's see, how much damage would I actually be able to do.

"Hey boys!" I said in the most alluring tone I could muster. It must have worked, because each of them had a dreamy look on their face. I immediately turned to Rosalie, and signaled her to run. At first she was hesitant, but she must have seen the expression on my face. I signaled her to call someone, and off she scampered away noisily.

The sound of Rosalie's clicking heels broke the men out of their stupor. Immediately, two men rushed in her direction, but I ran towards them, and placed my hands on their chest to restrain then.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Why do you even bother to look at her with me here, huh?" they all looked at me, and ignored Rosalie. I thanked whatever force that responsible for helping me.

"Yeah babe, you look much better. Lemme show ya what a man can do." One of them said.

"Naw Jones, she ain't gonna go to ya. She gonna scream MY name." another pig said. Everyone snickered, while I cringed internally. I really hoped that I could take them down. I did train hard, but would that be sufficient?

I did not let this new revelation bother me. I would fight, and make it out of here. I discreetly took the gun from my coat, and held it firmly in my hand. While my other hand held the hot coffee.

"If you want to live, then turn around and go. You don't know what I can really do." I said in a sharp tone.

"Yeah, and leave an eye candy like you? Naw!" the man whom I assumed to be the leader said. Suddenly, I was tackled from behind, and something cold touched my temple. Then I smelled gunpowder. It was a gun.

"Now, now, now. You will be quiet, won't you? Or be assured to find a bullet sticking through your skull." Saying so, the man who tackled me turned me, while the others began unzipping their pants.

"Bob, hold her tight." Bob tightened his hold on me, and made me stand up. This was it. I fling the hot coffee at one of captor's face, and kicked him backwards with all the strength that I could muster. Bob shrieked and let go of me. I took my gun, and pointed it to Bob.

That's when hell broke loose.

I heard the sound of a bullet whistling just past my ear. I did a quick back flip, and picked up the iron rod that lay on the ground. I nudged the gun into my pocket. Two men charged at me simultaneously. I kicked one hard in the gut, the heel of my shoe causing him to get hurt much more that I thought was possible. That would give him a nasty bruise, but I cared less. The second man tried to take me in a chokehold, but I turned around and hit him hard with the rod, right at the back of his neck. That would sure paralyze him. He clutched his neck, sank down to his knees, and as his eyes rolled back into his head, he fell down with a thud.

2 down. 6 to go.

No one messes with Bella Cullen. No one.

Wearing a shit-eating smirk, I grabbed the rod and ran towards the gaping men. After some dodging and sparring, I began to pant. These were the tougher guys. I couldn't help it now; I would have to use my gun. They must have thought was too much of a pansy to use my gun. Suddenly, I heard a gun shot. Man, I really hoped that Rosalie had called for some help. I immediately hid behind a dumpster, in an attempt to shield myself from the raining bullets. When the firing somewhat reduced, I rolled over to the other side, and aimed my gun at the nearest man. I aimed right at his heart, a single shot, but the maximum damage. The nearest guy was the ringleader. Without a second thought, I shot him. Shit, the others must have seen the flash of my gun. The ringleader plopped down on the ground, screaming profanities like an ol' sailor. I tried to escape from the alley, but as soon as I got up, many pairs of arms grabbed me. I heard a slight tearing sound. The tearing of fabric, to be precise. Then fire began burning up my body right from my abdomen. Then I felt something salt-rusty smelling fluid slide past my waist from my abdomen. Blood.

I suddenly became aware of the sensation in my abdomen-region. Something sharp twisted inside me, tearing all the muscles and veins mercilessly. I screamed in agony. Then I realized, some one had stabbed me in the stomach, very crudely. The pain became unbearable, and I tried to muffle my screams. I did not want to give these skeezes any satisfaction with my screaming. They must have thought that I couldn't do anything much, because the men let go of me. I immediately dropped to the ground, clutching my stomach. I would have to dress up the wound, and prevent further bleeding. I checked for my gun, it was still tucked between the waistband of my jeans. Quickly, I lay down on the ground on my stomach, as if I were dying. Before pausing for a second, I suddenly turned onto my back, and shot a volley of bullets at the six men. All were hit at different places, except one. I had missed him, because the pain in my stomach became unbearable. The five men fell down due to exhaustion, pain and bleeding. The sixth man standing, I remembered his name as Jones, shot at my gun, causing me to drop it down because of the sudden impact. Shit. Now what do I do? It came down to hand to hand combat. Jones ran up to me, and tried to punch my face. But I was quicker, and bent down just as he threw the punch. I clutched his waist and pushed him away as strongly as I could. He stumbled back, and fell down into a pile of trash. I remembered the knife that had been plunged into my body. It lay on the ground. I rushed forward and picked it up, but as soon as I got up, Jones kicked me hard, causing me to tumble down.

I had to fight. Now was not the time to give up.

My hope immediately increased by a notch when I heard the sound of police sirens. The sound distracted Jones, and it gave me just sufficient time to get up. He tried to escape, but I would make him pay for what he did. I ran after him, aimed the knife at his point, and threw it at him with a quick thrust of my wrist. It lodged in his lower back. He staggered, and fell on his back, causing the knife to come out all the way from his stomach. I dry heaved at the sight.

I pulled up my tank top to inspect my gunshot wound. The bullet was lodged in my abdomen. The gash was pretty deep, and I was loosing a large amount of blood. I removed my coat and tank top, and bunched up the tank top and applied pressure on the wound. I ran out from the alley, and reached the main road. There was an ambulance lined up against the curb, and medics were checking up on Rosalie. I'm sure she must have been traumatized. What surprised me was that standing next to her was none another than Edward. I wondered whether they were related, as both their surnames were 'Masen.'

Rosalie seemed to be explaining the incident, because Edward listened to her with rapt attention. At one time, his eyes flashed with recognition, and he began to wring his hands out of panic and anticipation. I walked up to the just arrived police cars. The officers took sight of me.

"Ms. Cullen! Are you all right?" an officer asked me. It seemed that because of my parents, I was well known in New York.

"I handled the men. They are there down the alley. You should check on them." A battalion of cops headed towards the direction I had pointed out. I decided to check on Rosalie, she really seemed shaken up. I walked up to her. She was facing me, while Edward had his back up to me. I cleared my throat. Their heads shot up to me immediately. They both gasped.

"Oh Rosalie, are you all right? I hope you have not got hurt." I enquired.

"Thank you Bella for saving me out there." She smiled gratefully at me.

"Bella, really, really, thank you. I cannot express my gratitude for saving my sister's life. She called for the cops and me as soon as possible, and we headed over here." Edward said. So they were siblings.

"That's all right. I'm glad nothing happened to her."

"But are YOU all right?" saying so, he inspected my face. I was sure there were a few bruises already forming. Suddenly, the pain in my stomach became unbearable, and I doubled over, gasping loudly. I let go of the tank top, which was hidden from view by my coat. The contained blood rushed out.

I looked up to meet the eyes of a panic stricken Edward. Black spots began clouding my vision. The last thing I saw before falling into Edward's arms were his green orbs getting clouded with tears.

The blackness finally took over, and I became numb.

If this was death, then it was pretty easy.

**A/N: that was SHIT AWESOME! Who all loved feisty Bella?**

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